With public attitudes on the environment changing the political attention paid to the issue there are louder calls for action from all sides. A key element to the debate in Canada is who will be responsible for taking the lead and who will be footing the bill.
The National Post, a conservative newspaper, has different opinions which you can find in two articles (1 & 2). Fundamentally, they question the scientific validity of climate change and do not support government policy as a solution.
The Climate Action Network has released a plan for the government to consider. They are basically calling for subsides, taxes and government funded programs to
spur industry and the public to change behavior.
What is the right course of action? Nobody can say for sure at this time as the debate seems to rage on and ultimately political expediency will win the day. In my opinion, everyone needs to take action. I've said it many times before that I don't think you have to believe in the science of climate change to support a reduction in air pollution. If you're all about the economic aspects
then waste reduction and efficiency shouldn't be a big stretch either.
One element I definitely oppose is any subsidy to industry. I get a little tired of shelling out money to support multi-billion dollar companies. If they don't change on their own and the market does they will suffer the consequences of bad business decisions. They reap the rewards so I feel they can shoulder the risk.
The balance between the economy and the environment combined with regulation over market forces is one that will need to be achieved to generate any solution.
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